Sunday, July 01, 2012 - 01:53 pm, by: Ezekiel Vozzo(Ekez)
Hey guys, sorry for the late reply.
I now have everything working perfectly, and hopefully i can show how i did it.
So, to explain my setup. I am running the factory speakers on the factory amp, off an aftermarket head unit.
I am also running an additional 1000w monoblock amp to power my aftermarket sub in the factory sub position.
Note: Before anyone goes out and buys new speakers, you have to hear the factory setup. They are amazing!
Now to run through how i set it all up.
I used the factory plug which i acquired from the original head unit. I then needed to figure out which pins went to what on the head unit.
Here is a list of the 15 pins, and what they do.
1) Amp turn on. This is needed to power the factory amp, you must have a head unit that has an amp power lead.
2)Illumination, i did not use this
3) Accessory. I connected this to my 12v accessory on the head unit.
4)12V Constant. Connected to the 12V constant.
5) Mute. I did not use this.
6) Left front AMP input. Ill go further into this later
7)Right front AMP input. Ill go further into this later
8) Power Antenna, i connected this to the power antenna on my headunit.
9) Not used
10) Telephone mute. I did not use this.
11)Chassis Ground, connected to the chassis ground on my head unit.
12) Signal ground. Ill go further into this later.
13) Beep. I did not use this.
14)Left rear AMP input. Ill go further into this later
15)Right rear AMP input. Ill go further into this later
So, now i have identified what all the pins do, it was a matter of wiring them up correctly. This was not a fun exercise, and once i was done. I had a few issues.
The first issue i had was that the unit was not powering up correctly, and horrible noises were coming through the speakers.
I initially though the ground had some issues, so after inspecting i found that the housing to which you mount the head unit to had its own ground. Out of the 4 bolts holding it to the center console and dash, the bottom driver side bolt was in fact a ground itself.
I then ran an additional ground from the head unit, to the housing.
The head unit now powered up, but the speaker system was not correct.
After this, i decided to actually learn how everything worked. What i found is that when your running a signal out of the head unit to an amp, you have to use the RCA outs.
So, instead of using the standard speaker outs on your head unit, you will have to use the RCA outs.
What you need to do at this point, it butcher up some RCA leads. Run the Positive to each speaker AMP signal and the negative to the signal ground.
Sunday, July 01, 2012 - 02:34 pm, by: Wayne Womersley(A49kidx)
Ezekiel, you have done a fantastic job of working thru this and coming out with a fantastic result. Shows a lot of patience and perseverance. (On patience, I have a lot for something I am working on, but very little for people I have a problem with). I have just printed out your post, along with other info on this Thread to go in my reference box. Without knowing anything about aftermarket 'head units', I suspect the RCA out's are Line Level, and the 'Speakers out' is amplified. The power Amp would not like being fed with that high a current. Lucky you did not blow the factory power amp. And yes you are right, the Toyota set up is top notch, Amp, Speakers & tweeters, Sub Amp & Speaker. That's in my V8 Limited, not sure if it's the same in all variants.
Sunday, July 01, 2012 - 09:38 pm, by: Ezekiel Vozzo(Ekez)
Hi Wayne,
More than anything, it is about sharing knowledge and working together to achieve a common goal.
You are correct about the RCA outputs, they act as a pre-out (after research i found my head unit level is 2.5v). As that maintains a strong signal and low noise, the factory amp can take that to deafening levels and maintain a crisp sound.
Newer head units may have a higher output, and i would be worried that the factory amp may not be able to take it. 2.5v is perfect, and i would recommend people be careful!
Sunday, July 01, 2012 - 10:13 pm, by: Wayne Womersley(A49kidx)
Ezekiel, Mature Words. Yes, as I understand it, normal Line Level is around 1 to 2 volts, yes at 2.5v we are pushing the limit, and may induce some distortion from the Power Amp, but that good Toyota unit should handle it. Actually I am a little annoyed, I had some info on the Factory Audio gear, but I seem to have lost it. But as I recall it's TOP brand stuff
Monday, July 02, 2012 - 03:00 pm, by: Wayne Womersley(A49kidx)
Hi Ezekiel, found the papers. You, or anyone, may be interested in this article.
The top man at Subaru Australia knows a lot about sound and “John Smith” has spent more on his home sound system than many pay for a new car. “Smith”, a tough man at any time, gets passionate when he talks about sound and is convinced the Mclntosh premium in-car system used by Subaru is the best in the business. Then again, Maserati is convinced the Bose system it fits to its Quattroporte luxury sedan is the best. Yet Audi is now moving to Bang & Olufsen, a relative new comer to serious car work, for maximum audio impact. And still there is something special about the Mark Levinson Reference system in the new Lexus LS. Lexus first used Levinson when it introduced its SC Coupe, and it was probably the best thing in the car. Back then I gave that Lexus Coupe top marks, partly because of the exceptionally styling and partly because of the incredible sound system. There are questions today about the Lexus LS hybrid that now tops the Japanese range, but the sound system cannot be questioned. When “Larry Harry” demonstrated it in Germany at last week's LS600 preview it proved car sound has entered a new era. The Lexus sounded more like a movie theatre as the Levinson system cranked out Dolby 5.1 action from a special demonstration disc. But the clincher was the 12-minute acoustic version of Hotel California by the Eagles. It was brilliant, playing on twin DVD screens and through 19 speakers, until the over stressed battery in the demonstration Lexus began to fade. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Levinson
Monday, July 02, 2012 - 05:02 pm, by: Wayne Womersley(A49kidx)
Thanks for comment Walter. Yes I missed that 2001 bit. In all honesty I would not put my car on what brand it is, but I suspect it's Good. Sounds good with a good CD. And that Sud's enough for my old ears. On Wiki, many people say you can't always believe what's written there, who knows. (maybe that 2001 should be tested in the British Court!!) Walt, if you like reading, see Z20.
Monday, July 02, 2012 - 05:16 pm, by: Ezekiel Vozzo(Ekez)
A good read.
Also i thought i would mention that my head unit only had 2 sets of RCA outs, so after testing at 2.5v, i have split the output to 1.25v left, 1.25v right, and an entire channel dedicated to sub out.
No noticeable loss in quality, just tight fitment placing the unit back in.
This also means that i do not have full independent control of the speakers, but no one would be able to tell.